The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1887-02-17
Sketches for the Boys.
BY REV. +. GERRISH.
NO. 6. THE YELLOWSTONE PARK.

u,
tana, over one thousand miles west of st. Paul,
Minnesota, and as the long train sweeps on
ward, climbing up the steep grade which is to
carry it over the crest of the Rocky Mountains,
which already tower across its path, we will
prepare for our journey up the famous Yellow
stone Valley to the great National park. which
is the wonderland of the world.
Livingstone is a beautiful little town of some
5000 inhabitants, located upon the Yellowstone
river. \ branch railroad has been built up the
Yellowstone Valley due south to Cinebar fifty
miles away, to which place train of cars is
waiting to bear us. And as we are whired up
the valley, from the open windows of the car
we will admire the wonderful scenery.
The valley is from two TO three miles wide,
covered with uXuriant carpet of grass, upon
which hundreds of horses and cattle were graz
ing. The river, some two hundred yards wide,
pours its yellow waters rapidly down the val
ley. On either side are ranges of mountains
which rise to an altitude of some 5000 feet
above the sea level. Their submits are cover
ed with ice and snow which never disappears.
The sides of these ranges are scanned and slash
ell in terrific manner. Deep canons have been
carved through the ranges. which are deep
and gloomy and the walls so steep and prccpi-
tous that they defy the exploration of man..
Great walls of rock often rise perpendcularIy Il
thousand feet in the air, while other masses,
equally great, have tottered and fallen in ruins
upon the green bottom of the valley below.
We are so absorbed in these magnificent sur
roundings that we do not notice how rapidly
time is passing and are surprised when the
conductor of the train shouts '' ''CineJur, CINE
BAR, and seiZing our grip sacks we are soon
upon the platform of the depot. A little Scrag-
gly town is Cinebar. with lots of grip and grit :;
its history is evidently nearly all in the future.
But bein. the terminus of the railroad branch
its growth is assured.
Here we will take stage coaches TO the Mann
moth Hot Springs in Yellowstone Park. seven
miles from Cincbar. This park has quite his
tory OF its own. an abstract of which it may
not be amiSs for me to here write: Its extent
is fifty-tire miles in width and siNty-ve miles
in length. 1t was taken from the three terri
tories of Wyoming, Montana and Idaho. Its
location Is upon the highest portion of the great
continental divide. The lowest point within
the park is several hundred feet higher than
Mount Washington. Four siN-horse coaches
are waiting to convey the passengers from the
depot to the Mammoth Hot Springs. We will
climb up on the seat beside Montana Charley.
worthy stage driver whose fame has extend
ell throughout the whole Northwest. Three
miles up the valley from Cinebar we reach the
little town of Gardiner. located at the mouth of
the Gardiner river, and as we are somewhat
anxious to become acquainted with Western
look the town over a little. So we will say
good bye. for short time. to Montana Charley
and our fellow passengers. promising to rclUiu
them at the hotel in the evening.
We will make bee line for the Metropolitan
hotel. 1t is not is pretentou> an establishment
AS its name would indicate: log building, one
story high. twenty-five feet wide and thirty
feet long. with Il canvas roof extension project
ing some twenty-five feet in front that serves
As dining room. In the log building they
cook and drink, and in several >hantes made of
logs and cotton cloth which are scattered
around the hotel proper the guests sleep.
Two-hird> at least of all the buildings in Gar
diner are either hotels or ,lrinkin. saloons.
The town was established by ">harper>'' who
in the end were outwitted by Others and defeat
ed by their own sharp practices. The history
OF the transaction is something like this: The
Northern Pacific railroad was constructing its
Dranch line up the valley to accommodate the
thousands of tourists who annually rush to the
Yellowstone Park The terminus Of thar road
would evidently he where the town of Gardiner
is now located: some spectators purchased
the ground and laid out city, and everything
Went on with Il genuine western boom. Lots
commanded fabulous price. The road bed of
the railway was graded almost to the town it.
self; but when the company came to purchase
ground for their depot and freight houses the
most outrageous prices We're asked. and ;t> IL
compromise could not he effected the railroad
established its terminus ut Cincbar and the city
of Gardiner was left by itself high and dry.
Thousands of people who visit the Park will
pass through it. unless like ourselves they stop
to get Il sniff of western life. Gardiner is pat
ronlZed to a small extent by the cowboys Of
the upper Yellowstone Valley. and the miners.
who come from region still farther up the
country i'll what is known as the "ClHrk> Fork
Mines" 1t does not take great while to look
the town over for Il ''Short horse is soon cur
ried." The buildings within the town all told
NOT nl,nr,lN nl
ed in Struggling fashion along two streets.
The bars i'll the saloons seem to he we'll patron
lied and evidently have large share of the
business. One or two stores in which fancy
goods are displayed for sale We're presided over
by large, tle>hy German ladies. who We're them
selves the center of attraction for miners and
cowboys, not so much. | presume, for any
claims they possessed for beauty. as for The
reason that ladies are few and far between in
that country.
In one of the groups of men who were
standing in front of Il saloon smoking pipes
and cigars was an individual in whose appear
ance We quickly became interested; he is sixty
years old for guess, five feet eight inches
tall and must weigh Il plump two hundred
pounds. n soft felt, gray hat, three gray
flannel shirts, the collars of all loose and un-
buttoned, dark gray pants. Il stout leather belt
at the waist. thick boots made up the mans
apparel; hair long and black. Il large head
shaggy eyebrows which formed junction
above his thick nose, sharp eyes. side whi>kcr~.
a chin whi>ker and mou>tache. each of which
was distinctly separated from all the Others hy
roads which had been cut through with a razor
so these before mentioned clumpS of beard
two inches in length and br>tiny with con-
>ciou> strength. re>cmblcd small evergreen
shade trees standing on Il smoothly shaved
lawn. One leg had been made two inches
shorter than its mate by some injury received.
You will notice that this man is treated with
the greatest respect by his rough companions.
A man has just been shot out on the range
half Il mile away by vicious youn. rascal.
The sheriff has arrived from Lexington to
make the arrests aud the crowd is discussing
the shooting affair and expressing various
opinions as to the nature of the crime. The
short. >tubby man removed the pipe from his
mouth and in a very mild voice made the single
remark "A cowardly shot and the fellow ought
to dance in the air in less than two hours; =
and Immediately all parties agreed with this
worthy. We shall meet this man again before
we finish our tour of the Park. but will say
here that his name is J. y. Beder, who has
had the most eventful history of any man now
living in the northwest. A dead shot with
rifle or revolver, as cool as an iceberg, he
possesses no knowledge &c of fear. The most
efficient sheriff and United States marshal who
ever held a commission west of the Missouri
river, of his history we will speak hereafter.
We are now but four miles from the Mann
moth Hot Springs, and as several hours of
udNlITnl remain we VIII walk up through the
Gardiner river canon to the hotel A we
pass out from Gardiner we must stop moment
and enjoy the mountain scenery. Great peaks
tower above our heads and the atmosphere is
50 clear that they appear to be but a few rods
distant. The Devils Slide, which is huge
sluice way cut from the top of a mountain
range to its base, leaving perpendicular wall
of stone on each side several hundred feet
high. is very interesting point to visit. We
follow up the right bank of the Gardiner river
which here untes its waters with those of the
Yellowstone, and SoOn enter the great canon.
For mile or more the scenery is sublime. The
river has literally cut its way through the
mountain range leaving its walls hanging
ragged and broken hundreds of feet above the
water. turnpike has been constructed upon
the bank of the river aud SO narrow is the
canon that in many places the road has been
cut in the solid rock. In one place the canon
walls rise one hundred feet above the road.
These walls are OF rock and they are scanned
and broken in the widest fashion. A walk or
ride through the canon is enough to repay one
for a great sacrifice made in reaching it,
We soon begin to see putfs and Jets of steam
rising from the banks of the river. These are
the advanced guard of the famous Hot Springs
which we are now on our way to visit. We
crossed the boundary line of the park soon
after leaving Gardiner, and we are now walk
ing within the charmed circle of the worlds
wonderland. And here we are beside the first
hot spring, tiny little one as it is, not over
two feet i'll diameter, but boiling hot and
steaming away with the greatest defiance, al
though it is located not over six feet from the